Governor Bobby Jindal and state emergency officials urged local officials and state agencies to take immediate steps to combat flooding and protect homes and important infrastructure.

The Louisiana National Guard has repositioned more than 255,000 sandbags from state warehouses to six different parishes. According to a statement released Friday, three sandbag filling machines have also been moved the the area, with three more to be moved Saturday. The Louisiana Guard says that the machines are capable of filling 400-500 sandbags per hour.

Guardsman have also hauled 200,000 bottles of water to Northwest Louisiana to back up local drinking water supplies.

In addition to sandbags and water, the LANG have deployed two Engineer Assessment Teams to assist Bossier and Caddo Parish officials in protecting sewage and water plants. The LANG also has approximately 20 high-water vehicles and 13 boats positioned near Caddo and Bossier parishes for emergencies response efforts.

"State agencies continue working with parishes 24/7 to ensure we do all we can to protect communities from these flood waters," Jindal said. "We continue to urge everyone to ensure they have a plan for their families and that they monitor local news reports for parish updates. We stand ready to provide more support and emergency response resources as this event continues."